Systems and methods to reduce spatter and aerosol during dental procedures

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus to remove spatter and aerosol during dental procedures with may feature a deflector mounted upon a mouthpiece structure that directs emitted aerosols and spatter into a narrower cone for easier collection and evacuation. The mouthpiece may also serve as a cheek retractor and as an oral suction apparatus during a procedure. Increasing collection cup size and providing negative airflow will also improve the control of spatter and aerosol.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application claims priority as a non-provisional perfection ofprior filed U.S. Application No. 63/087,699, filed Oct. 5, 2020, andincorporates the same by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of dentistry and moreparticularly relates to a method and apparatus to control spatter andaerosols created in dental procedures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

One of the most prevalent tools used in dentistry is the high-speedhandpiece “HP”). The HP has become essential to dental practice as it isthe base for many tools used in dental procedures. The HP is ahigh-speed rotary driver that powers many different tools used indentistry. In use, the practitioner merely changes the head on thehandpiece use a different tool of choice. Currently an HP can operate inthe range of 200,000 to 1,000,000 revolution per minute (RPM) dependingon type of HP, with air turbines reaching speeds of up to 1,000,000 RPMwhile electric turbines run at about 200,000. Water is frequently usedto cool HP's, however the combination of water and the high RPM'sgenerates spatter and aerosol which are expelled at very high speedsfrom the patient's mouth. The speed of spatter and aerosol can be higherthan 10 meters per second. The spatter and aerosol may contain bacterialand viral loads from the patient. Once spatter and aerosol get intospace surrounding the patient in the treatment room, it will contaminatepractitioners, equipment, any exposed surfaces in that room.

Many methods of controlling spatter and aerosol have been developed,mostly incorporating a strategy of contaminant removal. These includehigh volume ejectors (HVE), intra oral shields, rubber dams, chair-sideextra oral suction devices, in-room air filtration, negative airpressure generation, and others. However, none of them work effectivelyto remove spatter and aerosol as they exit the mouth before they cancontaminate the surrounding area. These strategies and systems focus onmoving the contaminants in a general direction away from practitionersand equipment, after which they may be evacuated.

The present invention represents a departure from the prior art in thatthe system of the present invention allows for evacuation ofcontaminants at the patient's mouth while not obscuring thepractitioner's access to the oral cavity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types ofevacuation methodologies, an improved apparatus and methods to removecontaminants may provide a method that meets the following objectives:that it is easy to implement, that it may reduce the ejection velocityof spatter and aerosols ejected during an oral procedure, that it mayprovide a structure that will not only not interfere with thepractitioner's access to the oral cavity but also serve as a cheekretractor, that it may also serve as an oral suction device, that it beinexpensive, and that it would be somewhat intuitive in use. As such, anew and improved deflection mouthpiece may comprise a spatter andaerosol control baffling structure to accomplish these objectives. Animproved methodology may provide larger collection cups and negativeairflow to slow aerosols and better capture spatter.

The more important features of the invention have thus been outlined inorder that the more detailed description that follows may be betterunderstood and in order that the present contribution to the art maybetter be appreciated. Additional features of the invention will bedescribed hereinafter and will form the subject matter of the claimsthat follow.

Many objects of this invention will appear from the followingdescription and appended claims, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein likereference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, itis to be understood that the invention is not limited in its applicationto the details of construction and the arrangements of the componentsset forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced andcarried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology employed herein are for description andshould not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods, and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic depiction of a one embodiment of an evacuationmethod.

FIG. 2 is a schematic depiction of a second embodiment of the presentinvention, utilizing a deflection mouthpiece.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the deflector mouthpiece utilized inFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the deflector mouthpiece of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevation of the deflector mouthpiece of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the deflector mouthpiece of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of thespatter control system is herein described. It should be noted that thearticles “a”, “an”, and “the”, as used in this specification, includeplural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise.

FIG. 1 depicts a pattern of spatter and aerosol ejected from a humanmouth during the treatment where 101 is a human head and 102 is openingof human mouth. The three-dimensional ejection pattern of spatter andaerosol 105 has a cone shape with an emitting angle θ1, relative tohuman face. The angle θ1 changes around the edge of the mouth, dependingon the cutting position of the HP and any intra-oral suction device usedduring the procedure. Intra-oral suction devices, like a high-volumeevacuator (“HVE”) or shields, may change the ejection pattern around themouth; but they will not be able to totally contain spatter and aerosolsince the ejection speed of spatter and aerosol is so high. Regardless,the emitting angle θ1 tends to be low, usually close to 0° and no largerthan 10° even with intra-oral devices increasing the angle. The ejectioncone 105 has a height hc1 and diameter dc1, which generally increaserelative to the exit point of the human mouth 102. A collection cup 107is connected to a vacuum device 108 above the patient. The cup 107 hasheight and a width or diameter wcc as the cup can be any shape:circular, square, or rectangular. To collect all the spatter and aerosolwithin ejection cone 105, the width of collection cup wcc must be largerthan the diameter of the ejection cone dc1 at the location of thecollection cup above the patient's mouth hc1. Typically, in the priorart, the collection cup is round with a diameter, wcc, only about 3-5inches (7.6-12.7 cm) at a height hc1 larger than 8 inches (20.3 cm),thus the collection cup is usually not able to collect all emittedaerosol and spatter. In the improvement shown in FIG. 1, the preferredwidth wcc of collection cup 107 is larger than 12 inches (30.5 cm) andminimum distance of cup from mouth is 8 inches (20.3 cm) to collect allthe aerosol and spatter from HP procedures. The suction power connectedto collection cup 107 needs to be higher than 150 cm3/s. The cup may belight and visually transparent so that practitioners can see through thecup 107. Further improvement to the collection of spatter and aerosolsmay be achieved by providing negative airflow A−, against the directionof the spatter, so that the velocity of the spatter is reduced, makingit easier to collect.

FIG. 2 depicts a method to contain spatter and aerosol right atpatient's mouth by altering the emitted pattern of spatter and aerosol,by attaching a deflector mouthpiece 300 to edge of human mouth 102.Deflector 300 changes the ejection pattern 205 of spatter and aerosolwith an emitting angle making the overall emission pattern narrower withemitting angle θ2 greater than the unaltered angle θ1. This results in anarrower ejection cone with a diameter dc2 when the height hc2 is equalto hc1. A suction collection cup 207 is connected to a vacuum devicethrough a suction hose 108. This suction hose 208 can be connected to astandalone chair-side station with filters and UVC light or connected toa suction pump in remote area. As the deflector 300 will change theemitting path of spatter and aerosol 205 into a narrower cone, the widthwcc2 of collection cup 207 may be smaller than that of collection cup107 and the distance of the collection cup from mouth hc2 may be largerthan that of the prior art, with a lesser spatter velocity at the pointof collection. Alternately, collection cup may have a width wcc2 of 12inches (30.5 cm) and remain at about 8 inches (20.3 cm) from the mouth102 and have a narrower emission pattern to collect.

FIGS. 3-6 depict details of the deflection mouthpiece 300 to bepositioned in the human mouth. Deflector mouthpiece 300 will not only tochange the angle of the ejection cone θ2 during a procedure, but it willalso simultaneously serve as a cheek retractor and will provide oralsuction during the procedure. Deflector mouthpiece 300 is constructed oftwo sides, 301, 302, which are almost identical and are joined at anelastic connection structure 303. Each side 301, 302 of the deflectionmouthpiece 300 is has a body which is generally half an ellipsoid andeach has an exterior circumferential groove 305 to fit inside, andthereby retract, the lips of the patient. Lower handles 304 and upperhandles 306 are provided to help fit each side into position. Suction isalso provided for oral fluid control through the provision of inlets 307located on an internal circumference of each side 301, 302 which are inoperative communication with a hose 308 further connected to suctionunit and a provided collection cup 309. Two deflection baffles 310 a,310 b are positioned on an upper edge of each side 301, 302, above theprovided external groove 305. Each deflector 310 a, 310 b is curved tocomport with each side, except that one side 310 a is slightly widerthan the other 310 b allowing overlap o of the deflectors 310 a, 310 bwhen assembled, thereby providing a solid deflector baffle wall anddefining a deflection cup to control the ejection cone. The combineddeflector wall has an angle θ2 relative to groove 305 and a height thatwill work together to narrow the ejection cone. It should be readilyunderstood that varying the deflector height and angle will create notonly narrower or wider ejection cones, but also greater or narroweraccess to the oral cavity. Therefore, this interplay is left to thediscretion of the manufacturer, who may create a number of differentsized mouthpieces for varying results.

In the practice, the mouthpiece 300 is inserted into right and left sideof lips when patient is treated. The deflectors 310 a, 310 b confine theemitting angle of spatter and aerosol to a narrow pattern to aid thecollection by vacuum device. The mouthpiece 300 will also serve toretract the cheeks and preserve the access area to the patient's mouthwhile also providing suction to control oral secretions during theprocedure.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, numerous modifications and variations can be madeand still the result will come within the scope of the invention. Nolimitation with respect to the specific embodiments disclosed herein isintended or should be inferred.

I claim:
 1. A dental mouthpiece comprising: a mouthpiece body dividedinto two portions, each portion further comprising: a body having anexternal cheek retraction groove; a deflector wall defining an upwardsorientation and having an angle of deflection in relation to the body;and an elastic connector defining a forward side of the mouthpiece andjoining the two portions; wherein, one deflector wall is oriented withan end further towards a rear of the mouthpiece than a second deflectorwall such that when positioned together the one deflector wall willoverlap the second deflector wall, presenting a unified deflector cup.2. The dental mouthpiece of claim 1, further comprising suction inletsinternal of the mouthpiece body, said suction inlets in operablecommunication with a suction device through a collection cup.
 3. Thedental mouthpiece of claim 2, the angle of deflection being greater than10°.
 4. The dental mouthpiece of claim 1, the angle of deflection beinggreater than 10°.
 5. A method of collecting aerosol and spatter createdduring oral procedures, the method comprising: a step of positioning acollection cup at least 8 inches above a patient's mouth; an additionalstep of providing negative airflow, directed downward towards thepatient.
 6. The method of collecting aerosol and spatter of claim 5, thecollection cup having a diameter of at least 12 inches.
 7. The method ofcollecting aerosol and spatter of claim 5, further comprising a step ofproviding a dental mouthpiece, said mouthpiece being divided into twoportions, each portion further comprising: a body having an externalcheek retraction groove; a deflector wall defining an upwardsorientation and having an angle of deflection in relation to the body;and an elastic connector defining a forward side of the mouthpiece andjoining the two portions; wherein, one deflector wall is oriented withan end further towards a rear of the mouthpiece than a second deflectorwall such that when positioned together the one deflector wall willoverlap the second deflector wall, presenting a unified deflector cup.8. The dental mouthpiece of claim 7, further comprising suction inletsinternal of the mouthpiece body, said suction inlets in operablecommunication with a suction device through a collection cup.
 9. Thedental mouthpiece of claim 8, the angle of deflection being greater than10°.
 10. The dental mouthpiece of claim 7, the angle of deflection beinggreater than 10°.